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Don’t Miss: Parquet Courts @ 9:30 Club, 2/13/17

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ParquetCourts
Parquet Courts (Photo courtesy Pitch Perfect PR)

In case you missed it, Brooklyn punks Parquet Courts released Human Performance, a fourth studio album in early April via Rough Trade Records. The talented rockers already continually impressed with their earlier releases, but they surely set a new bar with the latest, pooling their collective strengths into a set of songs that thematically center on estrangement, abandonment, and loneliness in a powerfully affecting way.

Andrew Savage (vocals, guitar), Austin Brown (vocals, guitar), Sean Yeaton (bass), and Max Savage (drums) toured extensively upon release of the album, and they stopped at the 9:30 Club on May 17. (Read our Parklife DC review!) While that show was pretty darn good, the band dedicated much of their stage banter to protesting their early set time. Lucky for us then that Parquet Courts have announced a brief 2017 tour that will include a return visit to the 9:30 Club on Monday, Feb. 13.

It’s timely to mention also that the band will perform a few dates this week — Dec. 9 in Asbury Park, NJ, and Dec. 10 in Queens, New York City. The Dec. 10 show at the Knockdown Center in Queens will feature the band’s multimedia show and also include a performance by DC’s own Flasher. (Parquet Courts and members of Priests, including Flasher’s Taylor Mulitz, struck up a friendship on a previous tour together.)

Watch the official music video for the title track “Human Performance,” which features puppets, by Parquet Courts on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D6-8eXlMV4]

Of their May show at the 9:30 Club, I said of Parquet Courts, “Despite the needling at their early booking (a later show followed that night), or maybe because of it, Parquet Courts set themselves to the task of metaphorically burning the stage down with a blistering punk performance. But its finer moments truly came in powerful, poignant numbers from their new album, Human Performance. The prolific Texans-turned-Brooklyners released [their new album recently], and their stop at the 9:30 Club heavily featured the new songs, which were well received by the very full (if not quite sold out) room. While plenty of crowd surfers took to the air during earlier Parquet Courts numbers (yay to the 9:30 Club for smartly if watchfully permitting such things), the new songs are mostly about loneliness and solitude, or at least situations where you find yourself alone, if not abandoned.”

The experience of catching Parquet Courts in concert then is wholly cathartic and absorbing, and one that you should not miss.

Tickets are available online.

Parquet Courts
w/ Mary Lattimore
9:30 Club
Monday, Feb. 13
Doors @7pm
$25
All ages

Don’t Miss: Thievery Corporation @ 9:30 Club, 12/15-12/17/16

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Thievery Corporation (Rob Garza and Eric Hilton) in Washington DC
Thievery Corporation (Photo by Andrzej Liguz)

It is said that each show by the Thievery Corporation is a unique party onto itself. We in DC will experience then three parties in a row when the Thievery Corporation cap off a short tour with three dates at the 9:30 Club on Dec. 15, 16, and 17 next week.

The Thievery Corporation hit the road on Wednesday this month to perform in Atlanta on the road back home for the three sold-out dates at the 9:30 Club. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have marked 20 years together as of 2016, which is reason enough to hit the road, but Thievery Corporation also is preparing for an eighth studio album, to be titled “Temple of I and I,” scheduled for release in February.

In concert, the downtempo duo is usually augmented by a collection of musicians who fill out the sound of the band, making for a dynamic live experience. Rob and Eric play electronics, mixing various world beats from reggae, bossa nova, and more into their chill-out music, while their supporting musicians play guitars and drums and add vocals.

Watch Thievery Corporation perform a 30-minute set, including “Forgotten People,” “Le Monde,” “All That We Perceive,” “Amerimacka,” and “Culture of Fear,” for KEXP in Seattle on Oct. 5, 2016:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eK6SYVyZRk]

According to a press release, the next Thievery Corporation album will continue to provide social and political commentary often found in the band’s music, particularly their album Culture of Fear from 2011.

The 9:30 Club dates may be sold out, but you can find other opportunities to buy Thievery Corporation tickets via Songkick.

Here are the Thievery Corporation tour dates for December 2016:
12/7 Atlanta, Ga. – Tabernacle
12/8 Richmond, Va. – The National
12/9 New York City, N.Y. – Terminal 5
12/10 Philadelphia, Pa. – The Fillmore
12/12 Portland, Maine – State Theatre
12/13 Boston, Mass. House of Blues
12/14 New Haven, Conn. College St Music Hall
12/15 D.C. – 930 Club
12/16 D.C. – 930 Club
12/17 D.C. – 930 Club

Thievery Corporation
9:30 Club
Thursday, Dec. 15-Saturday, Dec. 17
Doors @7pm/8pm/8pm
Sold out
All ages

Music Park: My Jerusalem @ 9:30 Club — 11/28/16

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Jeff Klein of My Jerusalem performs at the 9:30 Club on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

My Jerusalem kicked off a short set with a bluesy guitar rock number “Young Leather” from their new album, A Little Death, on Monday at the 9:30 Club.

It is a fine showcase for the rumbling guitar sound of band leader Jeff Klein, who surely plays in a post-punk style but with overtones of Americana and blues. I personally swear I hear some Roy Orbison, an inspiration for My Jerusalem, and occasionally some Bruce Springsteen in the man’s voice.

Music Park: K A G @ Comet Ping Pong — 12/1/16

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Katie Alice Greer performs as K A G at Comet Ping Pong on Dec. 1, 2016.

Katie Alice Greer stood focused on her electronic rig Thursday night at Comet Ping Pong, presenting quite a contrast to her explosive persona as lead vocalist of Priests.

Rather than wailing at the top of her lungs as DC metro’s resident punk banshee, Katie instead sang minimally over droning beats, often directing her voice into an old telephone receiver plugged into her gear. In so doing, Katie made her cassette release party as solo project K A G a far cry from her frenetic kinetics in Priests.

Don’t Miss: MetroCooking DC @ Washington Convention Center, 12/3-12/4/16

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KC Barbecue Marathon: Ribs from Oklahoma Joe's
Ribs from Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City, Kansas (Photo by Adam Kuban)

Feeling hungry this weekend? If you didn’t eat enough at Thanksgiving last week, MetroCooking DC, the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show, is offering a two-day food festival at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4, for you to satiate your cravings.

MetroCooking DC is offering programming on each day including meet and greets with celebrity chefs and book signing opportunities. You can see the entire schedule, including opportunities to meet chefs like Tom Colicchio, Jacques Pepin, and Duff Goldman at http://www.metrocookingdc.com. You also can sign up for cooking demos!

Music Park: Zipper Club (Opened for The Sounds) @ 9:30 Club — 11/28/16

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Zipper Club 13Lissy Trullie of Zipper Club performs at the 9:30 Club on 11/28/16

Zipper Club, out of Los Angeles, gave the crowd flowing in to witness The Sounds at the 9:30 Club last Monday a bright and hopeful look at what’s to come.

Music Park: The Sounds @ 9:30 Club — 11/28/16

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The Sounds impress mightily at the 9:30 Club on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)

Ten years is a long time, and a lot can change over those years. Just ask Maja Ivarsson, the tough-yet-sexy vocalist for The Sounds. She’s on tour with her two-year-old son right now!

But maybe it’s true that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Ten years ago, Maja looked almost exactly the same when The Sounds toured the United States in support of their breakthrough album, Dying to Say This to You. To mark that achievement a decade ago, The Sounds returned to the 9:30 Club Monday night to perform the entire album and other music to a very full house that gave the Swedish quintet a rapturous reception — as if it were 2006 all over again.

Don’t Miss: White Lies @ 9:30 Club, 2/1/17

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White Lies (Photo by Steve Gullick)

UK post-punk trio White Lies have come blazing back into our music streams with an excellent new fourth album, Friends.

Lead vocalist Harry McVeigh and his mates have really struck some new wave gold with singles like “Hold Back Your Love,” which undoubtedly was inspired by their recording of the album in Bryan Ferry’s private studio in London’s Olympia!

To support the album, White Lies are launching a short US tour that kicks off at the 9:30 Club on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Said bassist Charles Cave, “America is a huge place, and much as we would like to play five times as many cities, we’ve put together a couple of weeks of shows that we hope many of our fans can find their way to.”

Watch the official music video for “Hold Back Your Love,” which features a lot of people in their underwear, by White Lies on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNotrnObDMU]

White Lies have seen increasing popularly and audience with every return visit to DC. Undoubtedly, part of their success is attributable to the fact that they are such canny craftsmen of the staple post-punk sound. Although they undoubtedly owe a debt to Joy Division, Charles has rejected the labeling of his band as a “goth” band and stressed their uplifting outlook.

As I observed when White Lies last visited us at 9:30 Club in February 2014, “Deft moves like adding [a] Prince cover, along with an earnest and humble performance that eschews wailing theatrics, gives you plenty of reason to acknowledge that White Lies are forging their own path.”

I’m calling for this show to sell out! Don’t sleep on it. Tickets are available online.

White Lies
w/ Vowws
9:30 Club
Wednesday, Feb. 1
Doors @7pm
$25
All ages

Around Town: Careless Memories @ Dodge City, 12/8/16

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Duran Duran tour visits San Francisco in 1982Duran Duran for Melody Maker Magazine in England in 1982. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

This past month, Sting reopened the Bataclan, the Paris concert venue that was shuttered for roughly a year after a horrific terrorist attack. That 2015 terrorist attack occurred during a concert by the Eagles of Death Metal, who days prior to the show performed a cover of “Save a Prayer” by Duran Duran with the band on UK television and then made the cover part of their live set.

In the aftermath of that experience, Duran Duran donated their royalties from the Eagles of Death Metal cover to charity, and then subsequently dedicated live performances of the song to the good in people — as a sort of protest against terror.

Ticket Giveaway: The Pietasters @ 9:30 Club, 12/23/16

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Pietasters
The Pietasters (Photo courtesy the band)

It’s officially safe to talk about Christmas after Thanksgiving, right? No matter — it’s always a good idea to talk about The Pietasters. And The Pietasters have an upcoming Christmas show at the 9:30 Club on Friday, Dec. 23.

You’ll want to be there to skank the night away with the (currently) nine-man band under their founder Stephen Jackson, who started The Pietasters back in 1990! Although The Pietasters released their last studio album, All Day, back in 2007 on their own Indication Records, they are still a strong touring act, very much ready to blow you away with their personal blend of ska, rocksteady, soul, and punk rock.

Watch the official music video for “Out All Night,” a popular concert staple from the 1998 album Willis, by The Pietasters:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ5cjQhhZus]

Parklife DC is giving away a pair of tickets to see The Pietasters in their Christmas show at the 9:30 Club. To win these tickets, leave a comment on this blog. You can leave any comment, but we would like to hear your favorite song by The Pietasters.

For the rules of this giveaway–

Comments will be closed at 5pm on Friday, and a winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must respond to our email within 24 hours, or they will forfeit their tickets and we will pick another winner. We will email you instructions on claiming your ticket. Good luck!

If you don’t win, tickets are available online.

The Pietasters
w/ Mephiskapheles, Hub City Stompers, Loving Paupers
9:30 Club
Friday, Dec. 23
Doors @ 8pm
$15
All ages

ThePietasters_Flyer